Containers of the type adapted to be opened by removal of a sealing strip with a key are well known in the prior art. As the metallic sealing strip is removed from the container it is coiled upon itself by the winding action of the key. However, as a result of the resiliency of the metal it is often difficult to maintain alignment of the coils of the sealing strip thus causing the sealing strip to become disengaged. That is, when the coil windings are no longer concentric upon themselves, the metallic sealing strip may be twisted which causes premature breaking (and thus a partially open container). Alternatively such misalignment adds difficulty in completing the opening of the container and sometimes results in injury to the one attempting to open the container. Difficulty in opening the container through removal of the sealing strip may also occur as a result of the key being tilted thus causing the same to rotate at an angle as the strip is removed from the can or other type container. Again the strip may break or the coils thereof become misaligned with the results as above pointed out.
There are various sizes and shapes of containers such as cylindrical, rectangular, pear shaped or the like depending upon the contents and the particular manner in which the contents are processed. Prior art guides for sealing strips have typically been incapable of being utilized with all varieties of style and shape of container.
The best known prior art relating to sealing strip guides is contained in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,911,613; 2,572,820; 2,723,047; 2,755,957; 2,784,866; 2,795,351; 2,942,755; 3,079,036 and 3,130,858.